Just another nerd.
Everything In Moderation is a weblog dedicated to discussing moderating bulletin boards and discussion groups.
Even though I tend to let my discussion forums be free-fire zones, there are still some interesting ideas in there for getting the more disruptive users under control.
I avoid moderating my discussion forums largely because it’s simply too much work. That’s worked for the past seven years with only a handful of incidents that required taking a more heavy-handed approach.
Population Action International released a report in September charging that the U.S.’s global gag rule on abortion is undermining health care efforts in a number of countries. The gag rule bars any monies being given to family planning agencies that performs abortions or offers abortion counseling.
According to a press release from Population Action International announcing its report,
Conducted by a coalition of reproductive health care organizations, the study documents the effects of the Global Gag Rule in Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, and Romania. Health services have been scaled back and closings of reproductive health clinics have left some communities with no health care provider. Because of the gag rule, many family planning organizations have been cut off from supplies of USAID contraceptives, including condoms. Public health evidence shows that lack of contraception leads to an increase in unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion.
Population Action International cites the case of a clinic in Mathare Valley, Kenya, which had to shut down after the global gag rule was reinstituted. According to the report, this left 300,000 people in the Mathare Valley with no access to health care.
Similarly, the report found that after Lesotho refused to abide by the gag rule provisions, USAID refused to donate any condoms or other contraceptives to that nation. About a quarter of Lesotho’s population is HIV positive and USAID had been sending more than 100,000 condoms annually to the Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association.
Amy Coen, president of Population Action International, said in a press release, “The Global Gag Rule is yet another example of how the Bush Administration is allowing political ideology to trump science. The policy shows no respect for scientific evidence and proven public health practices, and no compassion for the millions of women around the world engaged in a daily struggle for existence.”
The full report is available here.
Sources:
US abortion rule ‘hits Africa women’. The BBC, September 25, 2003.
Bush AdministrationÂ’s Global Gag Rule Jeopardizing Health Care, Weakening HIV/AIDS Prevention and Endangering Lives. Population Action International, September 24, 2003.
Kenyan newspaper The Daily Nation published in October a price list for what it costs to bribe judges in that country and claimed that as many as half of the judges in the country were corrupt and could be bought.
According to the report an appeals judge would want US $19,800 for a bribe, whereas a mere magistrate could be had for about $50.
The Daily Nation’s story was based on a report commissioned by Kenya’s Chief Justice Evans Gicheru. Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki promised to crack down on judicial corruption during his successful election bid in December 2002.
The BBC reports that Evans told corrupt judges that they should do themselves a favor and resign now or face prosecution,
Those who are corrupt know themselves. The option is theirs, they can get out quietly without causing ripples but those who want hard-tackling we are prepared. We will wait for them to go, but for those remaining, I’ll advise the president to set up a tribunal.
Source:
‘Price list’ for Kenya’s judges. The BBC, October 3, 2003.
Back in 2001 economic problems in Argentina forced President Fernando de la Rua to flee his presidential palace in helicopter after resigning halfway through his term. Shortly afterward, Argentina set the dubious mark of the largest default on foreign debt ever — $140 billion.
But in September the International Monetary Fund agreed to loan Argentina an additional $12.5 billion over the next three years to bail it out of its economic crisis. Talks were scheduled with Argentina for October to discuss rescheduling $90 billion of its foreign debt.
Argentina asked private creditors to write off as much as 75 percent of its debt (in the form of government bonds).
In order to obtain the loan, Argentina agreed to control government spending and achieve maintain a budget surplus equal to 3 percent of gross domestic product for 2004. The government also agreed to submit a tax reform plan to the Argentine legislature by 2005.
Sources:
Argentina gets huge IMF loan. The BBC, September 21, 2003.
IMF approves US$12.5 billion loan package for Argentina. Associated Press, September 21, 2003.
Kamapala newspaper New Vision reports that Lord’s Resistance Army rebels ambushed a World Food Program truck. The truck was returning from a relief mission to deliver food to people displaced by LRA attacks.
The truck was burned and six people in it were kidnapped by LRA soldiers. Two other passengers escaped.
Source:
LRA Rebels Burn UN Truck And Abduct Six Passengers. New Vision (Kampala), December 3, 2003.
Following an internal fraud investigation and criticism of the failure of Uganda’s military to halt attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army, the BBC reports that three of the five Ugandan army division commanders, the director of military intelligence, and 28 other senior military officers were fired this week.
Some of the officers will face court martials after an investigation turned up large numbers of soldiers who were on the military payroll but didn’t actually exist.
Source:
Museveni purges Ugandan military. The BBC, December 2, 2003.